Garment-supporter



(No Model.)

R. S. WILLARD.

GARMENT SUPPORTER.

No. 356,861. Patented Feb. 1, 1887.

Fig 0.97

12% names @vwamtqz a I l)% 2". 54513 LL44 QLtozmag; I ,6 o I Uwrrn S'rnrns ldnrnw'r @rricnfl RODNEY S. WILLARD, OF ST. ALBANS, VERMOXT.

GARlVlENT-SUPPORl'ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355.953., dated February 1, 1827.

Application filed December 17, 1886. Serial No. 221.570.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l. RODNEY S. WILLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Albums, in the county of Franklin and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supporters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an article made of spring-steel wire provided with a loop for the attachment of a strap and at the end'opposite said loop with a second loop or loops or bends and with intermediate parallel spring holding wires or jaws. In Patent No. 344,889, granted me J uly 6, 1886, I have set forth such device provided with an encircling ring for preventing the fabric of the garment supported being drawn down from between the parallel wires into the lower loop or eye. Ihis result is objectionable, for the reason that thin fabrics are liable to be drawn down into the loop and completely out of the same, while on the other hand experience has shown that thick and heavy goods are liable to become packed in the eye or lower loop, lying partly therein and partly between the holdingwvires, and often prove diliicult to remove when desired.

My present invention is an improvement on that described in the aforesaid patent; and it consists in a lower loop, bend, or eye so formed that one limb or side of it passes across the holding-wires above their lower end and in aposition to prevent direct descent of the gar- -1nent or fold held by-said wires.

Heretofore the lower end of devices of the same general character as mine have been recurved at the lower end in a manner to pro duce the equivalent of a button, as shown in Patent No. 301,745; but in such construction the goods are liable to be drawn into either of the branches, which have spaces communicating freely with the space between the holding-wires. In yet another garment-supporter, heretofore described, the lower end of the de- (No in odcl.)

vice has been bent to form a hook, into which the garment is to be drawn.

It is characteristic of my device that a part of the single piece of wire which is bent to produce the loop or eye is made to lie cross- L wise on the holding-wires above their lower end, whereby at least one of the holding-wires is continued down at the side of a loop below the opening in the same, in such manner as to form a slop and prevent the fabric or any part of it from passing directly down and below said holdingwires.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lrepresents a garment-supporter embodying my improvement in one of its forms. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent the lower part of supporters, each exhibiting my invention.

As will be understood, a strap or band is usually secured in the upper loop, 1, and fastened above to a garment on the person of the wearer. A piece or fold of the garment to be supported is drawn into this loop and pressed down between the parallel spring-wires 2 2, and is there held. These wires are spread apart slightly, but through their whole extent, by the insertion of the fold. A loop or bend, 8, is provided which obviates the sharp angle that would be formed were the wire simpl bent upon itself without such eye or equivalent, and one part of this loop or bond is made to lie transversely and at or above the lower end of theholding-wires. It is essential that the transverse wire be so placed as to practically close the bottom of the space between the holding-wires and prevent the object supported from passing below the lower end of said wires and into any loop, recess, or space that may exist there. The several figures clearly illustrate this characteristic of my improvement.

In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the transverse wire passes between the holding wires. it

should, of course, be bent so that the spring holding-wires may remain in a plane with the upper loop.

In the forms which I have shown a double loop or bend is provided, whereby the elasticity of the holder is increased at the lower end, and the specific object of the improve ment above set forth is at the same time also attained. This elasticity is essential to the best efl'ect, as it is desirable that the parallelism of the holding-wires be practically maintained.

A single loop formed by crossing the holding-wires at their lower end has heretofore been constructed, and such device is not herein claimed, as the present invention is limited to a construction in which the holdingwires are extended down in a straight line below the practical holding-sdrface, whereby the danger of drawing the fabric in between the overlapping wires of the loop or eye is entirely obviated.

The device is made of hi ghly-tempered steel, and is sufficiently elastic to hold a fabric by its inherent force and independently of any tension of the supporting-strap, and the hold- 

